I press my palm to my chest, aching to feel my communicator. The Force relieved me of just about everything I valued—my only connection to Devlan, my father’s dagger, the antidote, even the sleeping potion I was to give to Sebastian. At least if I still had it, I might be able to sleep through the agony of a slow death
They did leave me my commitment gift and Madity’s necklace. I push aside Sebastian’s locket and grip Madity’s necklace tightly, as if it’s my last lifeline and she can feel me through it, hear my prayers.
A damp cold chills me to my bones, and I pull my dress over my legs, tucking them close to my body. I wrap my arms around my knees. This place smells of death, and filth, and decay. All around me is dark stone, only there’s not much light, so I’m not sure as to the exact color. Only the small sliver of light bleeding through the crack in the ceiling shines just enough for me to make out my surroundings.
To my left, decomposing bones lie scattered, and a dirty, half-crumbled skull stares up at me. Its teeth dig into the dirt floor. I kick the skull over the edge of the Oubliette and wait to hear it hit the bottom. The sound never comes. I’m not sure if there is a bottom, though there’s a door just on the other side of the abyss. I have a ledge the size of my body if I stretch out, but I hunker against the wall, trying to keep warm.
How many days will it take for me to die? With little to no water if the dribble stops, maybe five. I’m not certain when I last ate. My mind drifts back, rethinking how this could’ve played out differently. I’d like to accuse Larkin of everything—place the blame on his impatience and the possibility that the Virus drove him mad.
But I know I’m most to blame, though I can’t take it all upon myself. Devlan and the Rebels played a part, too. We all gambled with deceit, betrayal, and lies, and we lost. I bet on Sebastian’s virtue and the fact that I thought he was different from his father. All the signs were before me. I only chose to see what I wanted.
Now, my father will die either laboring in a harsh environment, his mind forever lost, or as a sacrifice to the cannibals. Sebastian will exact revenge on the Rebels, waging a war against them while also fighting the monsters of Outside, until he figures out a way to control the chaos invading Karm.
His words plague me.
The Rebels obviously don’t know everything.
I try to forget the horror of it all and focus on finding a way out. If my injuries didn’t already make it impossible to climb, the condition of the Oubliette does. The walls are flat and smooth, slick with slimy algae and impossible to scale. If there were a way out, I’m sure my bony companion would have found it.
When my mind is too weary to churn through faults and regrets, I lie down and shut my eyes. I tremble, chills overtaking me, my bones sore. I pass out.
A tiny stone hits my head. I scurry against the wall, fearful that somehow rats can climb the abyss walls. I hold still and wait to see their movement. A scraping sound comes from above, and I look up. Something is moving. I strain my eyes to see in the darkness.
Someone drops in front of me. I back as far as I can against the wall and shield myself.
“Zara,” Devlan’s voice echoes through the Oubliette. His arms reach out to me.
“Devlan,” I say, fearing I’ve lost my mind. “You’re here.”
His arms wrap around me, pulling me to him, and I inhale his scent of woods and mint, and the sweetness I can never identify but know is his. He kisses my forehead, then pulls back. My eyes begin to focus, and I can make out the curves of his face.
A tear slips down my cheek. “You’re here,” I say again, because the words didn’t feel real the first time.
His lips find mine, and he kisses me urgently. Breaking away, he presses his forehead to mine, and says against my lips, “I’ll always come for you.”
THIRTY-FIVE
After Devlan anchors me to his body with a harness, he climbs the cable toward the ceiling of the Oubliette. The crack is no longer a sliver. A circle of light now shows the way out, and as we reach it, he climbs through. I try to help, but only manage to pull dirt down around us.
When I feel grass, I inhale the fresh air around me. “Here,” Devlan says, unhooking the harness as he lays me on the ground. “Rest a minute while I re-cover the hole.”
“How did you find me?”
He taps the sod into place, then layers pine straw over it, making it look as though the ground was never disturbed. “Xander is still on the inside. He told me you’d been taken to the Oubliette, and Fallon knew of a way in.” He attempts a smile.
I nod, slowly trying to piece things together. “But you’re no longer on the inside.”
“No,” he says. “My cover was blown after I found out you were put here.” He drives his hand through his hair. “But I managed to escape the Force after trying to attack Sebastian.”
“Devlan,” I say quickly. “You shouldn’t have risked—”
“It’s done,” he cuts me off. “I couldn’t restrain myself around him any longer, regardless.”
I hate that he’s blown his cover for me, but maybe it’s best. Sebastian probably would’ve punished Devlan for my rejection anyway if he hadn’t left. He’s here now, and we’ll figure everything out together.
Glancing around, I say, “How far away from the castle are we?”
“Not far.” His eyes slip over me, seemingly noticing my defaced wedding dress for the first time. His features harden. “But there’s no one to erase the feed if we’re seen. We need to move.”